NatureMill Plus XE Edition Recycled Plastic Kitchen Composter

As written about in The New York Times, the NatureMill Plus XE Edition Recycled Plastic Kitchen Composter is about as green as it gets. The thing itself is made from recycled plastic and is super fast - it processes waste every four hours. Up to 120 lbs. of waste per month can be made into rich, organic fertilizer. A lot of rubbish? You bet it is.

Fully automatic and odor free, this indoor composter turns food scraps into a nutrient-rich mix for your plants in just two weeks. The unit is completely sealed, and its continuous air flow and a powerful filter remove odors. Add everything from vegetables to coffee grounds, meat to fish, every day if you like, as waste items are processed continuously, mixing every four hours until they're completely ground down into small particles. You can add up to 120 lbs. of waste a month. When your compost is ready, approximately every two weeks, a red light indicator will notify you. You'll find that more than 70 percent of the initial waste has disappeared, literally, as compost cultures convert it into water vapor. What's left is a very concentrated compost fertilizer. You can use it immediately, or leave it in a heap outdoors until you are ready to work in your garden. It includes a starter kit with pellets, too.

How the NatureMill Plus XE Kitchen Composter works
Deposit food waste items any time, on any day. You can add up to 120 lbs. per month. For best results, it's recommended that you cut items into small pieces. Items remain in the upper chamber with "hot composting" conditions of mixing, air flow, heat, and moisture. The energy released destroys odors, pathogens, and seed germination. The compost is later transferred through a trap door to the lower cure tray chamber where it continues to compost while you add fresh waste items to the upper chamber.

No odors, worms or bugs
Cultures consume waste quickly, without odors. The cultures produce a mild aroma similar to sourdough, mushrooms, or damp straw. Balance the chemistry by adding a small amount of sawdust to increase "brown" content, and baking soda to reduce acidity. A fan draws air into the machine continuously, providing oxygen to the cultures. A powerful carbon filter removes any lingering odors. Replace the filter ever 4 to 5 years.

Specifications:

• Temperatures: Use in any external location 0 – 120F or internal up to 140F
• Rate of compost production: 1 batch every 2 weeks (depending on actual usage).
  Indicator light signals when to remove compost.
• Finished product: High nitrogen compost – a soil amendment for lawns, gardens
  trees, or potted plants. Compost is ready to use.
• Compaction: 70% or more, volume and weight reduction, due to bio-degrading
  (composting) and mechanical breakdown.
• Construction: External housing is recycled and recyclable energy-efficient
  polypropylene (stamped with 5-inch triangle recycling symbol). Food-grade stainless
  steel and aluminum internal components. Will last years when used properly.
• Cost savings: Reduce trash enough to qualify for discounted trash collection rate
  (contact your trash company for details). Save money on fertilizer. Water less due to
  high moisture retention of compost.
• Power consumption: 5 kwh/month – as much as a typical night light. This costs
  about 50 cents a month. Uses far less energy than hauling the same amount of waste
  in a diesel garbage truck. All NatureMill composters meet or surpass efficiency
  Standards of Energy Star (US Environmental Protection Agency), and California
  Energy Efficiency Level IV.
• Cleaning and maintenance: Wipe hopper and exterior with a moist towel. Rinse
  the cure tray and drip tray when you empty them. Do not disturb the compost
  cultures in the reactor chamber. Do not use soaps or chemicals. Replace the filter every 5-7 years.
  

About Nature Mill
From activists to engineers, the people of Nature Mill have aimed to make a difference. They recycle paper, bottles and cans, read newspapers online and favor environmentally friendly products and packaging. Some even walk or bike to work. Despite their commitment to reduce, reuse, recycle, they still found themselves producing shameful amounts of trash. This was when they ventured head first into backyard composting, first with a humble kitchen crock. They soon discovered, after forgetting to clean their crock, that the waste was warm. Microorganisms were hard at work. The compost process had begun. Just a little more oxygen, some mechanical mixing, and a strong air filter would accelerate the process and eliminate the odors and bugs. Dozens of patents and prototypes later, the NatureMill was born.